Building activity carried out on existing buildings. Includes adding to or diminishing floor area, altering the structural design of a building and affixing rigid components which are integral to the functioning of the building.

Alterations and additions to residential buildings

Alterations and additions carried out on existing residential buildings, which may result in the creation of new dwelling units.

Building

A building is a rigid, fixed and permanent structure which has a roof. Its intended purpose is primarily to house people, plant, machinery, vehicles, goods or livestock. An integral feature of a building’s design, to satisfy its intended use, is the provision for regular access by persons.

Construction work done

The sum of building work done and engineering construction work done.

Dwelling unit

A dwelling unit is a self-contained suite of rooms, including cooking and bathing facilities and intended for long-term residential use. Units (whether self-contained or not) within buildings offering institutional care, such as hospitals, or temporary accommodation such as motels, hostels and holiday apartments, are not defined as dwelling units. The value of units of this type is included in non-residential building.

House

A house is a detached building predominantly used for long-term residential purposes and consisting of only one dwelling unit. Thus, detached ‘granny flats’ and detached dwelling units (such as caretakers’ residences) associated with non-residential buildings are defined as houses for the purpose of these statistics.

New

Building activity which will result in the creation of a building which previously did not exist.

Non-residential building

A non-residential building is primarily intended for purposes other than long term residential purposes.

Other residential building

An other residential building is a building other than a house primarily used for long-term residential purposes and which contains (or has attached to it) more than one dwelling unit (e.g. includes blocks of flats, attached townhouses, duplexes, apartment buildings, etc.).

Residential building

A residential building is a building predominantly consisting of one or more dwelling units. Residential buildings can be either houses or other residential buildings.

Value of building and engineering work done during the period

Represents the estimated value of work carried out during the quarter on jobs which have commenced.

Value of building work done

Includes the costs of materials fixed in place, labour, and architects fees. It excludes the value of land and landscaping and non-building components such as fencing, paving, roadworks, tennis courts, outdoor pools and car parks.

Value of engineering work done

The value of engineering work done for the private sector consists of the value of work done on prime contracts, plus speculative contracts, plus work done on own account. The value of engineering work done for the public sector is the work done by the organisation's own workforce and subcontractors. In each case, the value excludes the cost of land and repair and maintenance activity, as well as the value of any transfers of existing assets, the value of installed machinery and equipment not integral to the structure and the expenses for relocation of utility services. However, a contract for the installation of machinery and equipment which is an integral part of a construction project is included.

Work approved but not yet commenced

The anticipated completion value of the project, or if that is not known, the approval value. For residential building, 'work approved but not yet commenced' also provides a measure of the number of dwellings that have been approved, but have not commenced by the end of the reference period.

Work in the pipeline

Value of building work that has been approved, but as yet, has not been undertaken. Work in the pipeline has two components. Firstly, there is an estimate of the amount of building work still to be done on projects that have already commenced, 'work yet to be done'. The second component is the building work that has been approved, but had not commenced by the end of the reference period, 'work approved but not yet commenced'. Information on 'work in the pipeline' is available from the June quarter 2003.

Work yet to be done

The difference between the anticipated completion value of the project and the estimated value of work already done up to the end of the reference period for jobs which have commenced.